Wednesday, January 30, 2008

there's a new girl in town

What a day.

Without a car -- I told my repairman/car dealer to keep it, forever -- and still with a bum leg, my morale had finally begun to sink. I lost time over the weekend stuffing my face (an entire medium pizza, anyone? Yes! Me! I'll take it, but only after 3 candy bars, a garden burger deluxe and fries at Astroburger, a large bag of salt and vinegar potato chips, a slice of cheesecake, and 3 cans of soda) and wallowing in self-pity, and dragged myself in to work yesterday with a real bad attitude in tow. I don't know how anyone gets over anything without having to go to work or do something for somebody else. Obligation takes attention off the self, and sometimes that what's needed. As I talked and laughed and worked with the good people I share my daytime hours with, I felt the woe ease a little, and by the time a co-worker kindly dropped me at home, I was ready to knock it off and get back to living.

Living today meant being proactive about securing my early birthday present. Okay. Well. It's early early, and probably so much so that I'll skirt it and buy myself something else, too, but dammit I wanted this gift, and that meant I had to tackle this --

to get it.

The open road. I had to travel a distance to get this birthday present, and I had to do it navigating the byzantine system of LA's local, rapid, express, and short-distance buses. I had to do it relying on the LA transit system's website, which supposedly is meant to assist in the planning of routes, but which I found out today is more likely to send a passenger far, far out of her way, unless she catches on and tosses its directions in a Beverly Hills trash can.

Determined not to whine, or turn around halfway along the journey and go home, I made it to my destination, where I secured something that goes with this:

Oh, let me quit! I went to Santa Monica and bought a vintage machine I found on Craigslist! Even though I'd reclaimed my freedom and asserted myself as grown folks, I couldn't carry the machine home on the bus. That would've been a bit much. But I did bring home the accessories and this manual, and I'm giddily looking forward to picking up the machine this weekend.

I'll show and tell once I get it here. I have to say that Ellen's influence is at work. Ours is a Kenmore family, she once said, and I thought I might like to add a Kenmore to my family, too. I'll be the only one using it, but even better!

And, I almost forgot, I made my first Etsy sale yesterday. Today I sent off the order, a scarf, to a nice woman in England. Yay!

5 comments:

This is THE BEST trip planner when riding public transportation:http://latranstar.tann.com/ click on Trip Planner and you're all set. I don't know when you'll get a new car, and I am driver myself, but back before I had or needed one, I used to love riding the bus.

So glad that you got yourself out of that 'tunnel'. I do wish though that you had taken a picture of the machine so that we (well, I) could have a bit of an eye candy to 'work' with...lol...Congrats on your first Etsy sale...I have been meaning to open an Etsy store forever...don't know if I ever will.I have a friend who talks about the advantages of driving in your own car...like being able to fart in private or pick your nose and the list goes on. Me? I like to watch people on public transport. In London, I'll ride the Tubes forever or sit out on a bench in summer just to people watch.Heather

Hey, Heather. I think you're going to like this machine, just you wait. * The Etsy thing is so alluring because it's inexpensive and easy. But the catch is promotion, which is not my forte. Promote or perish, is what it boils down to. What would you sell in your shop? * The privacy of the car, for nose picking and other purposes -- lol -- is for me, but I hear you about people watching. There is always something fascinating to be seen!

Congrats on your "new" machine. I have a LOT of sewing machines (about 17) Some of the best are 50 years old or more. Necchi Supernova, Singer 201, and Singer 221 (the Featherweight) are my faves. I'm always on the lookout for a vintage Pfaff or Bernina too but they are hard to come by. I have a modern Kenmore...a portable blue one. I love it!